Dussehra, also known as Vijayadashami, is a traditional Hindu festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil. The ten-day event is the culmination of the Navaratri festival, and is celebrated in a variety of different ways across India.
It occurs on the tenth day of the bright half of the month of Ashvin, according to the Hindu calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, the event usually falls between September and October.
People of the Hindu faith in India take part in special prayer meetings and food offerings to the gods during this time, as well as holding large outdoor fairs known as melas. Large parades with effigies of the mythical king of ancient Sri Lanka, Ravana, can also be seen being burnt at bonfires.
